First Glances: Sarita

When the venerable Players on Madison closed this October after three decades, longtime executive chef Anthony Romano and business partner Sandy Smith purchased the space for their own concept, a polished and likely soon-to-be-favorite neighborhood spot called Sarita.

It was a move Romano says he'd been contemplating for years, prompted by regular half-serious offers to sell from retiring owner Gary Lucarelli. Sarita opened to the public Saturday, Nov. 14 after an overhaul of the interior space.

Gone is the 1980s-esque wall art, muted wallpaper and neutral chairs and linens. In its place is a bold and minimal black and white concept splashed with red, a tie-in with Sarita's logo (shown above on the restaurant's awning). The space is comfortable and clean, though loud due to the openness of the two distinct dining areas and a painted tin ceiling that, while full of needed character, reflects and amplifies bar chatter.

The menu, divided into "this," "that" and "the other" categories broadly defined as appetizers, small plates and entrees, is expansive with nearly 40 total options with wide appeal, such as crispy, fluffy Navajo fry bread — akin to fried pizza dough — with two kinds of pesto ($4), sweet and savory stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto ($10) and horseradish-crusted grouper ($29) with chanterelle mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a garlicy vinaigrette.

Horseradish-crusted grouper at Sarita, a Restaurant

Serious diners may find this new spot a bit too safe, and regular diners may struggle with the prices for an average night out, but Sarita has at least two standouts going for it.

Firstly, the service is astounding. Most new restaurants can aim only at keeping up with an opening-night crush while struggling to train overwhelmed servers and cooks. Because much of the staff are holdovers from Players on Madison, however, Sarita felt from Day One as if it were already a well-oiled machine (rapid menu changes based on customer feedback notwithstanding nor unwelcome).

Secondly, the olive oil cake ($7). Sure, there's a flourless chocolate cake that will likely sell well because, well, chocolate. But if you take one risk with your visit to Sarita, make it this cake. Citrusy, with a luscious scoop of cinnamon ice cream, just the right amount of crumb and a lingering aftertaste that reminds you the cake is made with olive oil, it was far and away the most impressive dish of the evening.

IF YOU GO:
Sarita, 14523 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-5200, sarita-restaurant.com
Mon-Thu 5-11 p.m., Fri & Sat 5-12 p.m., Sun 5-10 p.m.

Art for Dudes by Dudes

After regularly visiting art shows with his fiancee, Mathias Noble King says he realized there were only two or three vendors selling "dude-oriented stuff."

"I was finally like, Why don't I just make a show that collects all of these guys I've met throughout visiting all these other craft shows and call it Manly Mart?" he says.

Once he pinned down a location for the show, Mahall's 20 Lanes in Lakewood, King also found 17 male vendors to display their creations June 8. "They are selling everything from vintage to handmade items," he says. The manly wares on sale include cycling bags, books, furniture, watches and more.

One of the vendors, Nate Mucha, owner of A Hot Mesh, a design and alternative printing firm, will be rolling out a new brand, The Manly Gent, which includes goods for guys such as tasting journals, wearable items, posters and other products.

"If you have the meat journal, for example, as you find different kinds of meats, you can place them on the scale we have and make notes about it," Mucha says. "That way the guy has like a little address book of meats he has tried."

Although the event is named Manly Mart, King hopes to draw in the opposite sex, too. "I thought that saying it was a dudes-only vendor show would actually attract more ladies to buy the stuff for the dudes in their life," he says, especially with the show being right before Father's Day.

Photo courtesy of Alex Catanese

Visitors to the free show, running from noon to 6 p.m., can also enjoy bowling, drinks and food as well as music from Cholly and Plumjam.

"I know people want this to happen next year, so I want it to be an annual thing," King says. "Vendors are pretty excited, and everyone seems pretty enthusiastic about it."

Krivosh Corners

   A new music venue and watering hole came on line in Lakewood a couple of weeks ago. Called Vosh, it's  part of the former Bonne Bell complex of buildings, and is the third neighborhood venture for Mickey Krivosh and his family. The converted warehouse shares a patio, a kitchen and a chef, with Georgetown, the adjacent restaurant formerly known as Three Birds that he bought in 2011, and is across the street from Around the Corner, a popular West Side saloon and cafe he opened almost 40 years ago. With this newest addition to their collection of places to eat drink and socialize, the Krivoshs — dad, mom Patty, and a son, daughter, son-in-law, and cousin — have kind of cornered the market on good times at this end of Detroit, right on the edge of Rocky River.

  The club, spacious and stylish, is a fine example of how to re-purpose urban space and reuse materials. People now sip cocktails and dance in a former truck bay where big semis once pulled up. The long elegant wooden bar and shelves displaying bottles behind it,  a large gas fireplace and mantel, oak trim, doors, and mirrors once graced the Lakewood Country Club. A marquee salvaged from a local movie house that spells out the word Detroit decorates one wall and brings back memories for many. Stools and hi-tops are scattered about the sprawling space and an area of regular tables and chairs takes up a large corner. The floors gleam — an interesting polished and textured surface made with epoxy. There's a stage for the bands that will play every night of the week, a mix of local and national jazz, blues, big band and Motown acts. One of the nicest features of the renovation, to my mind, are the garage door style windows that overlook the lovely Georgetown courtyard.

  Chef Gregg Korney, a talent who was laboring in semi-obscurity out in Olmstead Falls at the now closed Quince, has created an appealing menu of creative snacks plates, salads- among them crispy spiced shrimp with pickled vegetables and chicken and veggie egg rolls, and what he calls "substantials"- larger portions of heartier bar food fare including a blackened fish sandwich and bacon wrapped meatloaf with white Cheddar tater tots.

Shrimp at Georgetown. Photo by Nathan Taxel

He's also revamped the offerings next door. I sampled a few of his dishes and was impressed. Loved a dish of blue foot shrimp, pineapple and paper thin slices of black and watermelon radishes in a cucumber coriander vinaigrette. 

    Mickey invited me to be a guest at a Vosh opening event. There was a crowd, but it didn't seem crowded. The place had a good feel and I think it's destined for success. I know I'd go back on my own dime.And I think the investment he's making in the area, which is also where he grew up and now lives, is worth a round of applause.  Better yet, show support by coming out and enjoying yourself.

Party in the Back

If irony is the new black, Lakewood is about to get a whole lot chicer. Crazy Mullets Super Salon, the newest venture from the guys behind Coventry’s famed Fast Eddy’s Chop Shop, was bustling with curious onlookers when I stopped in during the Lakewood Arts Fest this weekend. The salon, located across from Melt Bar and Grilled on Detroit Road, does offer regular services including cuts and colors, but the fun décor and hip hairstylists may just inspire you to get your Billy Ray Cyrus on -- at least until the "business in the front" section grows back out.